Which cast member replaced Chevy Chase during SNL's second season?

Bill Murray replaced Chevy Chase during Saturday Night Live’s second season.

Chase, an original cast member and the show’s first major breakout star, left NBC’s Saturday Night Live midway through season two to pursue film opportunities. His departure created an opening in the ensemble and at the Weekend Update desk; Jane Curtin subsequently took over Update, while Murray joined the cast as Chase’s replacement.

Murray’s first episode as a cast member was broadcast on January 15, 1977. He had already worked in improvisational comedy at Chicago’s Second City and had appeared on the short-lived ABC program Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell, a separate show that shared a title but was not the NBC sketch series produced by Lorne Michaels.

A common mix-up is assuming Murray was part of the original 1975 cast. He was not: the original group included Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Garrett Morris. Murray became part of the classic early ensemble from the second season and remained with SNL through 1980, later becoming one of its most celebrated hosts.